Final Fantasy: Harbinger of Entropy
by Your Sorceress Knight
Summary: Celes mysteriously falls from the sky with no recollection of her past. She wanders the land contemplating her true purpose. Stalked by a shadowy beast, she pushes her survival skills to the limit. Along the way, her companions grow from a young wolf cub to that of the SeeDs and more. The end is imminent as the jester and the sorceress join forces...
1. Genesis

It is innate in human nature to seek power and dominion. It is something the world has witnessed time and time again since the early ages of the Ancients. An endless cycle, destined to bring eternal warfare and destruction. Yet, it somehow advances mankind and encourages competition. In the end, conflict is what humanity requires to develop and prosper...

**FINAL FANTASY**

** HARBINGER OF ENTROPY**

Day 1: Genesis

I do not remember my true origin. I vaguely recall gazing into the face of an automaton of a grandiose structure. Its eyes were gleaming with a piercing light, an almost blinding sight that rendered my vision useless. They flashed and in an instant I was sent into a downward descent from the sky. The mechanical life-form sent me here, to Terra Mortis. Its purpose in doing so, unknown. I should have ceased to exist the moment my body impacted the cracked earth of Terra Mortis. A Kinesis Module was present on my person during my descent, placing me into a suspended and slowed state of motion. Needless to say, I gently landed in the canopies of the Great Forest. The machine must have wanted to keep me alive for some greater deed, a mission. Here in this dense jungle, I gather myself, my collected composure, my unbreakable spirit, my indomitable resolve and begin to explore my surroundings.

The intense heat and humidity of the Great Forest became unbearable and so I proceeded to strip myself of the clothing I was wearing. The perspiration that had accumulated on my clothes made it extremely difficult to remove, akin to removing heavy armor. As I shed my attire, I felt a burning sensation on my skin as the twin Suns shone their lethal rays down on me. I quickly moved into the shade of leaves to regulate my body temperature. As I did that, I felt a disturbance relatively close to my current position. A swift movement, yet silent. Out here in the wilderness, no chances are taken. I climbed to lower ground and hid in the hollowed interior of a tree. I pressed my bare body into the cool bark of the tree, flattening myself as much as I possibly could. I held my breath and waited for movement.

It was eerily silent. The buzzing of insects, the cries of feral beasts all stopped. I began to see a creature materializing out of the empty space before my eyes. A horrifying apparition, it assailed my eyes. I do not even have a classification for this monster. I call the creature It. It had pure white skin, wrinkled and moist with an amphibious texture. It slowly rotated its head a full 360 degrees and searched with its sunken black eyes. The legs, if you could call them legs, quivered violently as if the inside had been filled with wriggling worms. They started to ooze a clear and viscous fluid that possessed some sort of acidic quality as the ground below it sizzled and a smoke arose from the point of contact. Its arms hung uselessly at its sides as it hovered over to where I shed my clothing. This creature was able to levitate and invert itself to catch the scent of my clothes without the influence of any technology that I knew of, leading me to assume this thing, It, had psychic powers. When It finished, it simply vanished from sight. This thing was stalking me, and I had no idea how to defend myself. Who knows what other characteristics it may have that I have yet to discover?

End log.

_~Celes_


	2. Preparations

Day 2: Preparations

Truth be told, I did not get much sleep last night. The image of the creature was seared into my mind. Its eyes were blankly staring at me. The first thing I did in the morning was scout the perimeter. Everything was clear. I had noticed It smelling my clothing, which is how it must be following me. I proceeded to cover my scent with various odors I could harvest from my surroundings. Bug juices, plant fluids, anything to get this thing off my trail. I had fashioned clothing out of various vegetation and plant material to offer some minimal protection against nature and the elements. Returning from my scouting, I noticed something off about my makeshift shelter. It seemed... different. Something looked like it was missing. Must not have been too significant since I could not recall what was gone. I moved on.

As I walked throughout the Great Forest, I began to think to myself, Why did this happen? Why am I here? While questioning the circumstances that brought me here, I neglected to pay close attention to my surroundings. The sounds of chirps and growls grew progressively louder. I soon found myself at the edge of an enclosure. The forest floor ended and a new path began. It looked similar to sand. A closer look revealed that it was sand. I conjectured that I must be close to the ocean or some source of water. By this time I was nearing dehydration and my body was starting to shut down. I eagerly scrambled forward only to not find what I was expecting. No, it was not what I expected to see at all.

Nests. Mounds in the ground delicately covered with light material. I had inadvertently stumbled into the nesting grounds of some residents of the forest. Realizing the predicament I was in, I slowly removed myself from the enclosure. Suddenly, a snap. I look into the distance, 20 or so feet away. A reptilian foot steps out from the bush and soon the whole body emerges. It was about my height, 5 and a half feet tall. It was a shade of green so well developed, it could camouflage perfectly into its environment. A grunt. A growl. A few sniffs of the air. It then began to move forward. As if an okay signal, the leaves and vines around the lone saurian began to shake. 1. 2. 3 more of the same species, except smaller in stature, came out. Feeling slightly intimidated by their presence, I reached for my trusty knife. That's when I realized: my only weapon was missing.

I could do nothing, except hide in the shadows as the pack moved closer. The leader of the pack, the Alpha, stopped at the first nest. He used his clawed appendages to gingerly uncover the nest. I heard the sound of squeaking, squealing. The Alpha dipped his head inside the nest for a few seconds. Then he viciously tore at the infants. Snarling maliciously, he ripped into the baby creatures and consumed their innocent lives. The others followed suit, ravaging nests and committing mass infanticide. The shrieks of the babies rang loud and clear. I looked on. There was a sound rapidly approaching from where the saurians entered. Howling and roaring, a pack of what appeared to be wolves entered the scene. They charged at the invaders and swiftly fought tooth and claw. At this battlefield, were many casualties. 3 wolves had been slain. 2 of the saurians had been killed. The Alpha and the other survivor retreated while the rest of the clan pursued them into the forest, snapping their jaws and swearing lupine curses under their breath as they chased. After they were long gone, I left my lookout and entered the nesting grounds. All the pups in the nests were slaughtered. This must have been a territorial dispute. As I was about to leave these bloodstained grounds, I heard a soft whimpering. I searched for the source of the sound, and found a young pup only about a year old. The sole survivor. I don't know what compelled me to, but I picked her up and took her with me. I guess I just couldn't leave her there and let the jungle pass its cruel judgment. That's how Vivi came into my life.

End log.

_~Celes_


	3. Discovery

Day 3: Discovery

The cub and I made our way throughout the jungle. She kept whining and whimpering, but I didn't care. I would continue to care for and protect her. She's the sole survivor of a lost generation. Her legacy must go on. With all the chaos and rampant entropy that had just occurred, I had forgotten about nourishment. I assumed Vivi hadn't eaten anything since the last time her guardians returned from the hunt. I myself hadn't eaten. I found a secluded crevice, embedded into a nearby mountain. It was large enough to sustain the both of us. I carefully placed the young pup into the entrance of our new home. She uttered a soft cry. She had no idea what was going on. Who was this person? What happened to all my brothers and sisters? She just looked at me with those pale, blue eyes. Those were the saddest eyes. I gave a reassuring smile, and told her I'd return. I cradled Vivi in my arms, and gently rocked her to sleep. When she was in the land of dreams, I left home and began to seek food.

I'm no rookie hunter. Greenhorn is the last thing I could possibly be. Though I don't recall having ever been taught the trade of the huntsman, I possess all these skills I never thought I ever had. Perhaps it's just natural ability. It's been said that killing an animal results in the slow and gradual decay of the hunter's soul. I must have been hunting and killing for years because I know no mercy when it comes to hunting. Especially if I have a young one to feed. Looking around at my surroundings, I noticed a particularly sharp rock. Obsidian black, lustrous shine and diamond edge. This was the best I could manage. I fashioned a spear to ward off potential threats. This was sure to discourage any monsters from attacking. And with my lance in hand, I looked at the ground. A trail. A game trail. The hunt begins.

I followed the tracks. Moderately large, toes splayed at a short distance. It appeared to be bipedal. As I walked on, I noticed a heavy stench. It assaulted my nose and made my eyes tear, but I went on. At the end of the trail was a carcass. It was that of the creature I was tracking. Looked like a dead end. However, I noticed there was something hiding behind the carcass. I silently moved into position. It was an infant. It was crying softly. Wondering why her mother would not wake up. Looking around at my surroundings, I couldn't find any other sustenance. I looked back at the creature. It crawled out from its hiding place and approached me. It gave me a quizzical look, pondering what I was doing here. It was an ugly little thing, very unsightly. It squawked and then it started to eat the corpse. What an atrocious thing. Whatever sympathy or compassion I had for it died quickly. I pierced it with my spear and ended its life. This will have to do for now. I have two hungry mouths to feed.

I returned to my home and found Vivi waiting for her dinner. She greeted me with eager eyes and yipped playfully as I entered our little den. I plucked our food's feathers and gave them to Vivi to examine. She growled a little bit, then began to sniff them. I used the black blade to slice off strips of meat. It smelled rotten. Of course, this could be mended with a flame. I went outside only to be drenched in precipitation. What was this sudden flash rain? How is this possible? It was perfectly fine and dandy a few minutes before. I stopped questioning the circumstances of what just happened and took advantage of the bountiful rain. I showered my tired and aching body and cleansed myself of the forest's debilitating impurities. I noticed some plants were opening up to the rain, collecting it and saving it. When I approached, they sealed shut. Perfect. I hacked them down and saved the tubules containing the water. This would be enough for a few days. Vivi joined me in the rain. She danced elegantly in the falling rain, gracefully jumping and landing with great skill. As we both returned to our shelter, we immediately noticed a great issue. The meat had gone sour and the stench was incredibly overwhelming. Combined with the scent of wet hair and sweat, this was a disaster. I became incredibly frustrated with myself for not taking measures to prevent this. I slashed at the cave walls furiously. I had to keep the meat. I could not go out hunting. Not in this heavy rainfall. But I could not create a fire. The meat would continue to grow old and bitter and there was nothing I could do about it. I let off a scream that scared Vivi. I went over to her and apologized for frightening her. I looked into her eyes, and saw that she wasn't looking at me. She was looking straight past me, behind me. I saw an orange color hue in her eyes. I slowly turned around. Lo and behold, there was a flame. How did this happen? Did I really do that? I began to collect myself and regain my composure. There was only one way to find out. I let out several more screams and of course Vivi was frightened. However, several flames manifested before my eyes. They rapidly extinguished in the moist environment. I closed my eyes and focused. I breathed out slowly and imagined a blazing fire in the center of our cave. When I opened my eyes, I was welcomed with the friendly glow of fire. I quickly stuck the slivers of meat onto my spear and cooked them over the fire. Tonight, we would not go hungry. Tonight, we eat, and we sleep. In peace.

End log.

_~Celes_


	4. Salvation

Day 4: Salvation

We awoke to an unfamiliar sound in the forest. It was silence. As I slowly opened my eyes, I felt around for Vivi. I eventually found her and felt her shaking. I pulled her in close and whispered comforting words into her quivering ears. That's when I noticed this wasn't an ordinary silence. I sensed another presence in our cave. I sat upright and scanned the area. Appearing out of the damp, dank air, was It. I took Vivi with me and backed away as far as possible from the creature. It gurgled and shook violently. A few drops of liquid made contact with the floor and I smelled a sickening odor. Vivi let out a small cough and It swung around with astonishing speed. It glided closer towards us and I did my best to fend it off.

I was still new to my pyrokinetic abilities and could not wield my powers to the best potential. I was able to create a barrier of flame separating us from the beast. It let out a terrible shriek and halted its advance. We were unreachable. It disappeared. Vanished. We were safe. For now.

The whole time Vivi was crying and fearing for the worst and terrible things that could possibly happen. While It was gone, I gently rocked her and thought about my next step. I needed help. I couldn't win against this abomination by myself. We were leaving.

I took a quick glance out of the cave. It seemed to be safe outside. I took Vivi in my arms and slowly made it outside. The sun had finally emerged from behind the dark clouds. We walked through the forest gingerly, taking care not to attract attention to our position and occasionally stopping to check our surroundings.

Suddenly, cracks in the air. It sounded like gunfire. People were shouting. I could not discern what they were saying. Terrible explosions rumbled and I felt the earth shake. My best bet at surviving out here in the wild was with others. Despite Vivi's resistance to the loud noises, we walked onwards.

As we arrived at the scene of the commotion, we witnessed 3 soldiers engaged in battle. They looked professional, skilled warriors of battle. Their attire consisted of jungle green uniforms, worn and torn through years of usage, tired and stripped combat boots. Their dog tags were glistening in the sun and clinked against each other as the soldiers positioned themselves to meet their threat.

A massive creature towering well above the heads of the soldiers roared a fierce battle cry. It howled and cursed its attackers. The Behemoth charged at a lone soldier, the one wielding the Gunblade. He stood his ground, staring the beast down with cold eyes. To the right of him was his comrade wielding a heavy .50 caliber rifle. He peered into the scope, took a quick breath and opened fire on the Behemoth, rapidly spitting out bullets from the barrel with each pull of the trigger. The beast seemed unphased by this and directed his charge towards the man with the sniper rifle. It whipped its tail and smashed the earth where the soldier once stood as he dodged the assault. The beast began to concentrate and his horns began to glow a hot white. Electricity was focused and lightning was shot out towards the soldiers. An electroshield was deployed by the third member of the company. Wielding the grenade launcher, he let out a salvo of blasts at the Behemoth. The creature fell over and lay on its side.

The man with the Gunblade rushed forward to deal the finishing blow. He leapt into the air and readied his blade. However, the Behemoth had gathered itself and stood up on its hind legs. The purple skin of the beast began to pulse different colors, a vivid display of shining lights and hues. It roared and a gaping hole opened up in its chest. It reached inside and began to pull out what looked like the hilt of a blade. The 3 soldiers sensed great danger and rushed the Behemoth at once. The ballistics expert scattered flashbangs and concussive explosives to disorient the beast. Its movement was slowed and it staggered around. One final blast from a guided missile sent it over. The man with the gun switched his ammunition to a explosive rounds and opened fire to suppress the Behemoth's actions. The man wielding the Gunblade leapt to the beast's abdomen and stabbed downwards while pulling the trigger, setting off a round and powerful shockwave that rendered the beast powerless.

As it took its dying breaths, the soldier walked up to its head. He pulled the trigger at point-blank range and ended its life. The soldiers had finally prevailed in their struggle against the Behemoth. Finished with their business, the men turned towards us.

Laying down his gun, the man tipped his fedora introduced himself as Irvine.

Setting down his explosives, the man flashed a smile and introduced himself as Laguna.

Sheathing his blade, the man tacitly wiped the sweat from his face and introduced himself as Squall.

End log.

_~Celes_


End file.
